


Symbols of Connection

by fujiii



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Cooking, F/F, F/M, I feel like it's important to tag that, Past Snapdragons, Suggestive Themes, The act of sliding a ring on your significant other's finger can be so intimate bro, Vampire AU, Weapon Auctions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23513977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujiii/pseuds/fujiii
Summary: Rings can act as a symbol of a bond, of an alliance. Of love. The exchange of rings acts as an expression of mutual commitment, symbolizing how two people belong together. It seemed Summer had an endless amount of rings, but the longer they were together, the more clear it became that there was one ring she never removed. It's no surprise it gave Raven an idea.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Raven Branwen/Summer Rose, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Symbols of Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while since I posted a fic huh? Well if you saw the word count you'll understand why. This is a fic set within my Vampire AU. I wanted experiment a bit with this fic so it involves a lot of hopping between timelines. You're essentially getting four fics rolled into one.
> 
> Just a few warnings. There is a brief discussion of panic attacks, I tried to make it as vague as possible but still wanted to give a warning. Also in the final scene of this fic, there is suggestive content but once again it's fairly vague. There is also the discussion of blood drinking. And let us not forget big fat implications of a character death. These few things are the reasons why I decided on a Mature rating.
> 
> That's it for warnings I hope you enjoy!

Above all, a ring is the symbol of a bond, of an alliance. Of love. The exchange of rings acts as an expression of mutual commitment, it doesn't signify that one belongs to another. Rather, it symbolises how two people belong _together_. How they will stand side by side enduring what life has to offer. 

It felt as though Summer had an endless amount of that accessory. Some days she was in the mood to sport exclusively silver rings, or maybe jump between sapphire and emerald stones over the course of the week. Raven would often watch with a curious eye as Summer chose what rings she wanted to wear for the day. Picking one up from its place in her display case, twisting it in her fingers, inspecting the jewel. But the longer they were together the more obvious it became that there was one ring Summer never took off.

On her left ring finger rested a silver band with a bright red ruby. Raven would always catch it glinting in the light, it was so simple in design, so minimalist compared to the other hefty rings that would cost Raven six months worth of jobs to cover the cost of one. But through its simplicity, Raven felt something more, like she could tell just how much this small ring meant to the vampire.

There was this habit Summer had, something you find her doing absentmindedly while she was lost in thought over things Raven couldn’t even begin to fathom. She would stare off into space sometimes, caught up in her own mind and her right hand would almost automatically close its fingers around that silver band and twist it over and over in a maddening rhythm. It wasn’t necessarily a frequent thing, but whenever she happened to do it, it was hard not to notice. 

It’s no surprise it gave Raven an idea.

The sun was beginning to set, drenching the scenery in a hue of orange. Beams of light flitted through gaps in trees, dark green leaves dancing slowly in the delicate breeze. Raven kept her focus on the road, the faint rumble of the tires of her dark two door gliding across the pavement mixed with the light rock playing from the radio. One hand gripped the steering wheel, index finger tapping along to the beat of _Edge of Seventeen._ Her other arm rested on the door, she leaned her head against her hand. 

As the song faded out, she would sit up straight, arm against the door moving so her hand could rest on the steering wheel. Her right arm would drift down, pressing up against the center console, hand curling around the gear stick. She let out a long sigh of air. Suddenly the radio station jingle played and a voice pitched in. 

“Good evening to everyone tuning in, top of the hour 6pm everyday we have the ever popular _War of the Roses_ segment.”

Hearing the mellow voice of the radio host chime in with that rehearsed line caused Raven to squint her eyes. _Oh boy._

“Well everyone, perhaps you recall how heated things got the day before. But if you’re joining us for the first time, how about we roll a bit of a recap.” A generic rewind sound effect was played before the high pitched voice of a woman broke through.

_“How could he just leave me?! Right before our anniversary?! I have the gift I was going to give him right here!”_

Raven scoffed, rolling her eyes as she slammed another button on the radio, tuning to a different station, the energetic beats of hard rock filling the air. All these radio hosts wasting air time for over dramatic retellings of a strangers relationship gone wrong. 

Still, that woman mentioning a gift drifted her mind down to what was sitting in the inner pocket of her jacket. For quite some time, Raven wanted to give Summer something special, but the trouble always revolved around not knowing exactly what. So perhaps it was fate that she found what she was looking for while helping Qrow search shopping catalogs a few months back. He spent weeks on a hunt for the perfect gift for James since his birthday was coming up, eventually his struggling got unbearable so Raven decided to pitch in.

He would settle with a sterling silver fountain pen set she pointed out to him. He claimed it was scary how perfect it was. Long before James was drafted into the war, he would spend hours practicing calligraphy. Qrow used to watch in wonder as James expertly trailed pens across paper to form perfect script. James always said it had a way of calming his nerves.

But then the accident on the battlefield overseas happened.

He lost parts of himself in more senses than one. Spending months looking up at the barren ceilings of the hospital. What he hated most was not being able to feel his right side for a long time. But then he was introduced to Dr. Polendina, who eased him into a life with prosthetics. Wanting to write calligraphy again might seem like a simple dream, but he would fight for years in order to achieve it. 

He trained himself to write with his left hand and it felt like such a difficult task, forcing your body to relearn something it was accustomed to for so many years. Frustration would flood his mind more often than not. Yet all the trials and tribulations, the up’s and the down’s, brought forward a light at the end of the tunnel. Because nowadays you can find him at the desk of his studio writing pages upon pages in his script handwriting. 

Raven thinks back to Qrows face when he reads off the cost of the pen set listed in the catalog. It was a hefty price that would no doubt involve a bit of budget adjustments for a few months. But in the end, James’ smile when opening the wrapping of the pen set was what told Qrow it was all worth it. 

Raven squints, remembering flipping through what felt like the millionth gift catalog, until she saw it. It stopped her dead in her tracks, she couldn’t really explain it, but something about it just screamed _“this is the one.”_ But she would shake her head and force herself to move past it, skim through the rest of the pages, she was doing this to help Qrow after all. But her mind kept drifting back to that item. It wouldn’t leave her thoughts. So she would find herself ripping out the pink order form in the back and filling it out. Item number 42E. It was a custom gift and required a few weeks to be made and delivered. It gave her time to figure out how to work around the six separate payments to cover the cost of everything. After taking on a few extra jobs for over a month, she was able to pay it all off and tonight was finally the night for Raven to surprise Summer with it.

The road began to wind, elevating slowly. When she reached a traffic light, she flicked on the left turn signal. The car flew by houses gradually growing in size, property sizes getting larger. Soon Summer’s home came into view, the deep red siding and black tiling of the structure contrasting against the hazy auburn sky. She slowed the car as she reached the drive-way, tires moving from smooth pavement to cobblestone with a slight bump. Reaching for her keys, Raven pushed on a button for the electric gate, it whirred to life and when it slowed to a stop again, she drove through. 

She brought the car to a complete stop when she reached the large garage. Pulling out the keys and letting the engine die down, she stepped out of the car. She took in a deep breath, the air around this part of Sanus County was so fresh compared to the bustling city streets of Vale a few miles away. Shutting the door behind her, she tilted her head left and right enjoying the slight relief as her neck popped in response. She looped the chain of her set of keys through her index finger, before heading towards the entrance of the property. 

Raven gripped the knob on one of the double doors and turned. It was unlocked, as usual, well to be fair Summer wasn’t exactly someone worried about the concept of breaking and entering.

Shutting the door, she tosses her keys into the bowl on top of a small table and drawer by the entryway. She removes her heavy combat boots, slipping into a pair of lounge shoes she leaves hanging in the small coat closet. She adjusts the tongue of one of the shoes.

“How are you today darling?”

Raven looks up to see Summer standing under the threshold of the area that branches off to the left side of the large home. She had a warm smile tugging at her features and Raven was quick to notice how her hands were occupied polishing a dagger. Left hand held onto the dark wooden grip while her other hand dragged a polishing cloth along the length of the silver blade.

Raven stands up straight tapping the tip of the shoe she was adjusting against the mahogany floor. She flashed a small grin. “Doing good so far. You need any help with that?”

Summer stopped her motions. “There’s no need, I’m just finishing up.” She lifted up the dagger, it glinted in the light as she turned her hand to show the front and back of the blade. “I do thank you for the offer however.” 

She turned back into the room and Raven trailed behind. She walked past a few paintings, a couple of pieces of pottery on display before heading into the next room over. Summer was standing in front of a large glass display shelf. Raven took a spot next to the vampire and watched as she set down the blade right below its sheath, it was silver and had intricate designs etched all across. She vaguely remembers Summer showing her this dagger before, if she recalled correctly it was called a _“jambiya”_ and was from 19th century Morocco.

“I’ve been meaning to polish the blades on display here for quite some time,” Summer said as she shut the door to the display. “They’ve been lacking in luster and were in need of a bit of care.”

Summer shook out the polishing cloth, folding it into a small square before stepping over to the left of the shelving unit and opening the drawer to a small table. She placed the cloth inside so it could join the other various polishing tools. She slid the drawer closed and would smile as she felt an arm wrap around her waist. 

She turned to face Raven who drifted her hand up until it rested between Summer’s shoulder blades. A lone silver eye met crimson and they stared in silence a bit, before the taller woman leaned down pressing a kiss to Summer’s brow just above her eyepatch.

“Have any other things you need to take care of?” Raven asked.

Summer laughed, raising one of her hands to adjust the collar of Raven's dark denim jacket, flattening the thick fabric with her palm. “None at all. The rest of the evening is free for whatever we may please.”

Her hand would trail higher, fingers brushing dark hair from Raven’s face. A faint tint of red would dust across her cheeks as she noted how Summer’s usually sharp nails were filed down. Summer cupped Ravens cheek, tilting her head up and Raven moved down. They pressed their lips together into a chaste kiss. Pulling away, Summer stepped out of Raven’s arms.

“Shall we prepare dinner then? Pasta carbonara has been on my mind for quite some time, so I decided we shall enjoy that tonight.” She pressed another quick kiss to Raven’s lips before starting towards the kitchen and Raven followed suit. 

Flicking on the lights in the kitchen, Summer walked along the white tile, past the fridge and around the large island at the center of the room. She pulled open a cabinet door and grabbed two dark plates, setting them on the marble surface of the island behind her. Raven looked over towards the stove to find that Summer already had a few things laid out for dinner preparations. A large stainless steel double boiler sat over one of the burners, right beside the stove was a canister of salt and pepper mill. She also noticed the wooden cutting board with a few glass bowls, cooking utensils and cheese grater stacked on top. 

“Come with me for a moment please,” Summer said and Raven would trail behind as she headed towards the walk-in pantry. 

Turning the corner into the pantry, Summer flicked the switch inside, letting the light buzz to life. First thing she grabbed was a small loaf of ciabatta bread sitting close to the pantry entrance. Holding it in her hand, she scanned the other shelves for something particular.

“I could have sworn it was on the third shelf...” Summer trailed off.

Raven glanced at the shelf Summer was searching, finding a pack of pasta with serving size portions separated and wrapped in plastic. “Were you looking for spaghetti,” she questioned gesturing her head towards the pack when Summer acknowledged her.

“Ah no I’m searching for- oh,” Summer stepped over towards Raven grabbing the pack of pasta that was behind the spaghetti.

Raven furrowed her brow in a bit of confusion, looking down at the pack in Summer’s hand. To her it looked exactly the same as the spaghetti on the shelf, save for the label reading _“spaghettoni”_ instead. 

“Is there a difference?” She asked.

“Indeed. You see spaghettoni is thicker than spaghetti, that way it can absorb sauce. You will notice such a difference in flavor.” She trailed off but then gasped as if she just remembered something. “It would pair exceptionally well with that bolognese sauce you make. Here hold onto it.”

She handed Raven the pasta and stepped over to the wall of shelves on the left side of the pantry. She reached for the neck of a bottle of olive oil, lifting it and shaking a bit, before setting it down and grabbing the bottle next to it.

“What? Is there a difference between those two as well?” Raven asked sarcastically, maybe with a bit more bite than she intended.

“No, I just couldn’t recall which bottle I opened previously,” she chuckled as she gripped the neck of the bottle. “And with this, we now have everything we need,” she said as she gestured to Raven to follow her out. 

Setting all the ingredients from the pantry onto the marble counter top, Summer then padded over to the double door fridge. 

“I just need to grab a few more things, may I ask that you fill the tall pot on the stove top with water?” 

Summer turned her attention back to her task at hand digging through a drawer at the bottom. Raven walked around the counter grabbing the pot on the stove, she set it in the sink and turned the cold faucet letting the stream of water fill the pot. The door to the fridge closed and Raven looked up to see Summer lay out a small bowl with four eggs, a block of cheese, and something wrapped in white butcher paper. She glanced back down to see the water filled the pot just over halfway so she shut off the faucet and set the pot back on the burner.

Raven grabbed the salt canister sitting on the marble counter next to the stove and added a decent amount to the pot of water. She twisted the knob for one of the burners and it clicked a bit before igniting, she turned the flame down before grabbing the cutting board that had a few other cooking items stacked on top. Turning to Summer she set it down in front of the vampire and Raven would receive a smile from her in response.

“Excellent. Let’s get started shall we?”

\---------------

Three eggs were cracked, all of which being added to a glass bowl. Shells were abandoned in a waste bin hiding in a big drawer of the island. Summer cracked the last egg slowly into the bowl it rested in. She used her hand to lift up the yolk, fingers were parted slightly to allow the whites to stream through the gaps. It left a perfect yolk resting in her palm and she added it to the other eggs. After rinsing her hands quickly, Summer reached for a fork and began whisking the eggs.

Raven was on the other side of the counter, her task at hand was grating the block of cheese. It was pecorino and Summer said it had a nuttier profile compared to standard parmesan. After grating just over half of the block of cheese as requested by Summer, Raven lifted up the grater, a pile of cheese being freed from the confines of the aluminum cooking tool. She tapped the block of cheese against the grater and any excess bits of shredded cheese stuck in the grater sprinkled down onto the pile.

Summer had finished whisking the eggs and would slide the bowl towards Raven who would lift up the cutting board and carefully slide the shredded cheese into the bowl. She handed the cutting board to Summer who reached for the knife and packet of meat wrapped in butcher paper. 

Raven then picked up the pepper mill, cracking a good amount of black pepper into the bowl of eggs and cheese. She picked up the fork mixing everything until it was thoroughly combined. Satisfied, she looked over to Summer who just unwrapped the slab of meat from the paper. She held it up showing it to Raven.

“This is guanciale, its pork cheek and has such a deep flavor profile. You’ll love it I'm certain.”

Raven watched as Summer cut three quarter inch strips, stacking them all on top of each other before chopping it into small bits. Once that was complete she turned towards the stove opening a cabinet below to pull out a cast iron skillet. The water in the large pot began to boil so Summer opened the packet of spaghettoni adding the portions into the water.

Turning back to the skillet she ignited the flame beneath it. Adding some oil and spinning the pan until it coated everything. Raven was behind her holding the cutting board of chopped guanciale. When the oil was hot enough, Summer took the cutting board from Raven, sliding the bits of pork into the pan. As they began to sizzle, Summer handed the board back to Raven and grabbed a pair of tongs hanging on the rack at the head of the stovetop.

Raven turned towards the sink washing the cutting board while Summer focused on tending to the food sizzling away on the skillet. The taller woman would hum in approval with the smell of the guanciale hitting her nose. She enjoyed the routine her and Summer managed to find when it came to cooking together. They always had a task to do and were ready to assist the other whenever needed. It was almost as though they could read each other's minds. Well that's how Qrow decided to put it.

Turning the stream of water off, Raven dried her hands and joined Summer at the stove. The bits of pork frying to a nice crisp, but it looked as though they were drowning in all the excess oil. Summer seemed to notice too, sucking her teeth. She reached for the roll of paper towels off to the side, she dropped one of the paper towels into the pan, it soaked up a good amount of the oil and then Summer tossed it into a bowl she left on top of one of the burners. She did it one more time. 

“You know, I heard us mortals like to call that a _fire hazard_ ,” Raven teased.

Summer would let out a huff of air and Raven was certain she was rolling her eye. “How lucky of me, I have a personal jester.” 

With the bits of guanciale in the pot looking crisp enough, Summer inspected the pasta with her tongs. It appeared to have cooked through so she set the tongs down, lifting up the first pot of the double boiler. The holes allowed for the water to strain through so after shaking it a bit, she poured the spaghettoni into the skillet with the bits of pork.

Picking up her tongs again, Summer gripped the handle of the skillet and began to stir the pasta around allowing the savory oils in the pan to coat everything thoroughly. As she tended to the pan in front of her, she would let out a small laugh as she felt Raven wrap her arms around her waist, pressing up against her. Letting go of the handle of the skillet, Summer drifted her hand along Raven’s arm, pulling the sleeve of her denim jacket up so she could run her nails across the skin.

Raven pressed a kiss to the top of Summer’s head, the back of her neck, behind her ear. She presses her lips to the shell of Summer’s pointed ear, parting them and letting her teeth graze across the helix-

“Please grab the egg mixture atop the counter for me.”

That was enough to make Raven stop all her motions. She pulled away with a sigh and Summer chuckled.

“Oh come now. I’m sure we can enjoy a different kind of indulgence later,” she quipped and Raven would let out a defeated huff of air in response, rolling her eyes. How Summer could always say things like that so casually is still a wonder. 

She would unwrap her arms from around Summer’s waist and turn to the island behind them. Picking up the bowl and fork beside it, Raven returned to Summer. The vampire would move out of the way to give Raven space, turning the knob on the stove off with a click, flames beneath the pan dying down. Without needing to be told, she stood over the skillet, whisked the mixture with the fork and tilted the bowl letting the egg and cheese coat the pasta. When the bowl was empty, she stepped away, Summer filling up the space once again. She gripped the handle of the skillet stirring the pasta around. Raven turned on the faucet, warm water washing away clumps of cheese stuck to the sides of the bowl. As she washed the bowl and fork, she would listen to Summer shaking the pan every so often, tongs scraping as she continued mixing the pasta.

Raven prepared both plates setting them on the counter surface. Right on cue Summer lifted the pan off the stove top and brought it over to the two plates laid out. With the tongs, Summer lifted up a portion of the pasta, setting it on one of the plates and twisting upwards until it formed a small mound. She did the same for the serving of pasta on the other plate. There were bits of the crisp guanciale left in the pan and she would portion it out. She added a little extra to one of the plates, it would be for Raven.

Satisfied, Summer set the pan and tongs into the sink. She pulled a drawer open and took out two silver forks. She put one on each plate.

“Now then shall we eat?”

They sat on stools around the island. Raven twisted the pasta around with her fork lifting up the bite size portion. She tasted the nuttiness of the cheese first, followed by the salty profile of the guanciale which also happened to have a hint of smokiness. The bite from the cracked black pepper tied everything together.

Raven looked up to see Summer lift up her wine glass, she twirled the pale alcohol before bringing the glass to her lips. Gavi white wine, crisp, with a floral aroma that pairs perfectly with the nutty profile of the carbonara sauce. Raven opted to have water perhaps it didn’t complement the dish as well as an aged wine might have, but it was still refreshing and a good way to cleanse her palate. The ciabatta helped round everything out, they both used it to soak up excess sauce on their plates.

They would eat their meal in silence, speaking up every so often to discuss their day, Raven mentioning some plans she had with Qrow later in the week. They were following a lead on a vampire spotted posing as a taxi driver and they might have just figured out the route they take to hunt for victims.

“I have something I want to give you,” Raven stated as she set her utensils onto her plate.

Raven then reached for Summer’s cleared plate dragging it over towards her. She grabbed the set of utensils atop the dish and placed them with her fork and spoon, before picking up her plate and setting it over Summer’s. Raven stood up, taking the dinnerware with her as she walked around the counter towards the sink. Summer’s eye would trail her form until Raven turned out of sight behind her, the sound of the faucet running and slight clang of the dishes signifying that she had begun cleaning up. 

It gave Summer time to process Raven’s words. _Something for her?_ She reached for her wine glass, a few more sips of the alcohol remained. 

“Something for me you say? Well I adore surprises,” she grinned as she twirled the glass in her hand. 

The floral aroma of the wine hit her nose as she brought the glass to her lips. She finished what was left before setting the glass down with a faint clink. Raven had shut the stream of water off by now, drying her hands before walking around the counter to return to her seat. 

“I’m sure you’ll like it,” a small smile tugged at her lips before she brought her attention down towards her black denim jacket. 

Summer set her arms on the counter top watching as Raven dug into the inner left pocket before pulling out a small grey box. She set it in front of Summer and then leaned back into her seat, waiting for a reaction. Summer stared at the velvet box eye wide, brow twitching as she processed the sight before her. This box… there could only be one thing inside. A ring. She bought a ring. For her. This scenario, this moment, it feels so familiar. Shadows of the past began creeping to the surface, memories consuming her.

A ring. 

He bought a ring.

For her. 

_They had just finished up their dinner. The saloon they visited offered chicken fricassee as the meal for the evening. Seared chicken thighs, cream sauce and various vegetables cooked together in a pan to form a hearty meal._

_He was splayed across the shared bed in the room they reserved upstairs. His brown cattleman’s hat found a place hung up on the clothing rack by the door. He cashed big on a recent bounty and even though he split the earnings with everyone back at camp, he still managed to keep a hefty amount for himself._

_He wanted to do something special, just the two of them._

_Just the two of them… his words would dance around her mind the whole day. She leaned against the railing of the balcony to their room, taking in everything. The saloon overlooked a large lake, and on the opposite side of the body of water was the forest and mountain range. She shifted her weight to her other leg and stared in awe at the sunset, the way the hues of orange would dance across the sky, clouds like cotton. How the sun would slowly sink out of view behind tall evergreen trees in the distance, tinting everything in a deep gold._

_She would pull away from the view in front of her and instead focused down below. Down at the streets, with people going about their evening, horses trotting across cobblestone dragging along carriages. The sounds of church bells ringing in the distance caught her ear, six chimes._

_No one would bother to look up at her on the balcony so she stood up straight, both hands holding onto the railing as she broke out of her minor shapeshifted form. Rounded ears becoming pointed, a lone circular pupil constricting until it was vertically slit. She parted her lips letting out a long breath as her fangs returned to their natural size._

_Shapeshifting was a gift vampires gained when they became old enough to control it. Summer remembers the days so many centuries ago where she would barely tap into this skill. Yet the more attached to humanity she became, the more she found herself inclined to use it. That attachment to the mortal population started long before her eyes burned silver. She would sometimes look back on how often she used to shift the colors of her irises from piercing red to a brilliant shade of green. That on its own used to take so much strength to hold, let alone reducing the size of her fangs and changing the shape of her ears._

_Strength. That’s all there was to it, vampires that could hold a shapeshifted form for hours were always praised for that strength. But lately, she had come to notice a downfall to using her shapeshifting for hours on end. She let out a wince, a soft yet pained noise escaping her before she could stop it. She crossed her arms, lifting her left in order to use two fingers to rub circles over the fabric of her eyepatch. It was almost like clockwork, moments after stepping out of a shapeshifted form, a piercing pain in her eye would bubble to the surface._

_Six months had passed since she first donned this accessory, but it still felt so foreign to her. And this pain she felt every so often didn’t help things. Yet she would endure it. This eyepatch and the scarred flesh beneath, it was a reminder. That she was able to save him._

_The sheets on the bed behind her would shift and she moved her hand away before he would see the pain she was barely masking. Heavy footsteps approached her, and arms would loop around her waist. He pressed his body up against hers, squeezing his arms a bit before burying his head into the crook of her neck. The waxy smell of his pomade would begin to consume her._

_“How you feelin’ love?” He would ask, muttering the syllables against her skin._

_With a little sigh of pleasure, she leaned her head against his. “I am doing remarkably well, darling. Care to admire the sunset with me? It’s breathtaking.”_

_He tilted his head up, looking on at the sunset ahead of them. He hummed. “I’m inclined to agree. It’s breathtakin’. But, not nearly as breathtakin’ as you.” He chuckled, arms around her waist squeezing as he pressed a kiss to her cheek._

_She laughed quietly, a short huff of air out of her nose. “Flatterer.”_

_He moved his arms standing up straight, before taking a few steps backwards. Summer turned in response, staring as he looked her form up and down. He then lifted his arms, index finger and thumb on both hands forming a rectangular shape. He closed one eye adjusting his hands slightly to the right._

_“And what might you be up to?” She set a hand on her hip, looking at him in curiosity._

_“See ya doin’ this all the time with ya fingers when you start sketchin’ landscapes in ya little journal. What did ya call it again?” He asked as he placed both hands on his hips._

_Summer smiles letting out a huff of breath before shaking her head. “Framing the scene,” she provided and he lit up in response._

_“Oh right!. Riiight. Well then, accordin’ to my expert knowledge, this is the perfect settin’ for me to give you somethin’ quite special.”_

_He flashed such a bright smile and she couldn’t help but laugh._

Raven looked down to notice Summer spinning the silver band on her right ring finger, the ruby glinting in the light with every turn. It was the only ring she had on at the moment. But Raven knew it was one she never took off, hell it’s that ring that inspired her to buy her own for the woman.

Summer stopped her motions, it drew Raven’s eyes up to find silver meeting her crimson gaze. There was a smile that pulled at Summer’s lips which helped wash away the shock that was plastered on her face a moment earlier 

“Only ten months have passed since we’ve been together you know,” she laughed.

It was Raven’s turn to be surprised, her brows shot up, mouth opening then closing a few times, stammering for a response. She settled with breaking eye contact, moving her gaze down towards Summer’s wine glass instead. Heat began rising to her cheeks.

“That’s **_not_ **what this is,” she forced herself to look back up to Summer. “Come on, just open it.” She gestured towards the box. 

Summer turned her head to the side, sly grin on her face as she kept her gaze on Raven, looking down to pick up the box, then giving Raven one more once over before turning her attention fully to the velvet box. She opened it slowly, a mix of curiosity and anticipation flooding her mind, creeping up her spine, before letting out a soft gasp. Her eye widened as she inspected the ring within the box. 

It was a gold double band ring, but what really caught her eye was the stone. It was amethyst, and she watched in wonder as multiple shades of purple flashed in the light as she turned the box back and forth. 

_She would watch in curiosity as he dug through the small hip bag that was attached to his gun holster. He smirked as it seemed that he found what he was searching for. As he pulled his hand from the bag, his other would shield Summer’s view from whatever he was holding. It must have been small, he was only using two fingers to hold it. He lifted his arms until they were at eye level with Summer, his grin grew wider as he moved the hand cupping his other. Summer’s eye widened as a small ring was revealed._

_It was a silver band ring, but what really grabbed her was the bright red ruby resting on top. It glinted a bit as sunlight bounced off of the jewel._

_“I said I wanted to do somethin’ special for you.” She focused her attention back to him as he spoke up, his cheeks beginning to darken. “And I meant it. Saw this in the window of a accessory shop just after pickin’ up money from a bounty ‘bout a month ago. I couldn’t resist.”_

_“A ring? For me?” Of course she knew the answer to that. But she was finding it hard to form words admittedly._

_He switched the ring to his other hand before he stepped closer. Reaching his hand up, he cupped her left cheek, calloused thumb stoked the skin just below her eyepatch. He tilted her head up, pressing a kiss to her forehead._

_“Yes. All for you,” he said with a smile. Silver staring into bright blue._

_She felt him slide his hand down, past her shoulder. Following the length of her arm. She looked down as he wrapped his hand around her wrist, lifting her hand up._

“Consider it a thank you.” Raven broke the silence pulling Summer’s attention towards her. “For all you’ve ever done for me,” a small smile pulled at her lips.

Summer smiled, she looked at the ring again, staring at it a bit before setting the box down. She slid it towards Raven and the woman in turn cocked a brow in confusion. 

“Would you like to do the honors?” Summer stretched her right hand out towards Raven, who would bring her gaze down towards it in response. “I believe it’s the best part.”

_“Consider it a reminder. That you’re loved,” he said as he slid the ring onto her finger. “Every time you look at it I hope you can remember all the good memories we shared.”_

_He pressed his lips to the base of her hand before letting go. Smile tugging at his lips as she lifted her hand to inspect the ruby in whatever sunlight remained in the sky._

_The smile that danced across her features was filled with so much love. She let out a soft laugh, bringing her silver gaze towards bright blue. She pulled him closer and he wrapped his arms around her waist in return. Her left hand ran its fingers through his slicked back blond hair, tugging him down a bit to press a kiss to his cheek._

_“It’s marvelous. Something I shall cherish for eternity.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. And they stared in silence for a bit before inching their heads closer._

More memories flashed across her mind as she watched Raven pickup the box, carefully pulling the ring free as if it would shatter into pieces if she used too much force. She reached for Summer’s hand next, thumb rubbing across the base of it as she brought the ring closer. Summer listened to the faint hitch in Raven’s breath as she slid it onto her finger. 

When the ring was on fully, Raven pulled her hands away, satisfaction evident on her face as Summer moved her hand around in the light, still fascinated with how the jewel sparkled. She cupped her other hand over one of Raven’s.

Their eyes met again.

“Thank you. It shall be something I cherish for eternity.”

Summer stood up from her stool. She walked around the counter towards Raven, who would move her chair backwards with a slight scuff. Moving her legs apart, she let Summer sit against her right thigh. Raven wrapped her right arm around Summer’s waist, holding her in place. Summer would lift her right hand and inspect the jewel again. It was just so enrapturing. Raven looked down too, watching as Summer twisted it in the light.

“It’s such a beautiful ring my love. What ever inspired you to search for something so gorgeous,” Summer asked curiously. 

Raven grinned. “You remember that auction right? The first one you ever brought me to?”

Summer smiled. How could she forget?

\---------------

Six months back, there was a large-scale weapons auction being held on the lower west side of Vale near the seaport district, the manifest she received in the mail listed off a plethora of weapons from Asian cultures. She was interested in the two listings of Vietnamese guom, it was stated they were from the 19th century and sported a carved antler grip. 

Included with the manifest was a slip requesting how many will be attending the auction. The invitee and up to two guests could receive tickets for the event. Summer looked over to the twins sitting at the island, they were both tackling a plate of steak and eggs. _Maybe they would enjoy an auction like this,_ She pondered.

The date of the auction ended up conflicting with previous plans Qrow had with Roman and Junior. The nightclub owner got a tip on a vampire sighting and Roman asked Qrow to join him on searching for leads in the industrial district. When Qrow isn’t working with Raven you can usually find him teaming up with Roman.

Raven accepted Summer’s offer to join her and when the day arrived, they sat in Summer’s dark red ‘65 Mustang as they drove down the freeway. She adjusted the rear-view mirror, sparing a glance at Raven in the passenger seat adjusting the buttons of her black suit jacket. She then flattened the collar of her dark red button up before relaxing into her seat.

“You don’t have to be nervous, love,” Summer stated looking back at the road.

“It’s not that I’m nervous, well maybe it's a bit of that too. I’m not sure. It’s just, I’m not exactly someone familiar with…” she trailed off finding the right word. “The etiquette of an event like this.”

Summer laughed and Raven would turn to face her, watching how her silver suit seemed to sparkle in the warm sunlight, her ruffled white shirt blowing around slightly as wind came in from the driver side window that was open a bit. After a moment, Summer turned towards her in response and Raven fought back a shudder. There was something rather peculiar about Summer’s appearance when she used minor shapeshifting. Nothing bad, it just felt a bit off-putting, like her vampiric features suited her far better than the human traits she was currently sporting.

“Come now you don’t have to worry about that, everyone is there with a goal in mind and only acknowledge people bidding against them,” she turned back to face the road. “You won’t be the one bidding so just follow my lead and enjoy the night. Take it slow as though I was teaching you ice skating or something.”

Raven chuckled. “Ice skating? Where’d you get that comparison from?” She asked.

Summer hummed in response. “Not entirely sure to be frank. Perhaps I’m some sort of figure skater in another universe.”

They arrived at the auction location at the seaport district, it was set up at an empty warehouse dedicated to events such as this. Stepping out of the parked car, Raven adjusted one of her chelsea boots before the pair headed towards the entrance. They showed their tickets to the security at the door before being escorted inside. An usher was there to greet them.

“Good evening ladies, allow me to just take your tickets and we can head over to the show floor.”

They handed the man their cream colored tickets that each had their names etched in script. He would turn in place and start down the hall, gesturing for the two to follow him. When the three reached a pair of double doors, he spoke up again. 

“The bidding event is not for another hour, so please feel free to inspect the items on the show floor in the meantime.”

He pushed open the doors and stepped out of the way for the pair to walk through, Summer spared him a quick _thank you_ before he shut the doors.

There were quite a few people scattered about the open space inspecting weapons on display. Mostly older men, but there were few people around Raven's age as well. Some women too, but most of them looked like they were the plus one to their rich husbands. The pair walked around for a bit, they stopped in front of the two Vietnamese guom on display. That was what Summer was here for so she stayed to inspect them. 

Raven branched away from Summer at this point, she glanced over at something and it caught her attention. Walking down the long table shielded with a white cloth, she moved past other weapons before stopping in front of a katana display. The blade was unsheathed and was on the top of the display while the scabbard rested below it. It sported a handle with white rayskin and black cloth braided tightly. The scabbard itself was made with a dark wood and had a black cord wrapped around it near the mouth, the sageo. The tip of the scabbard had a gold cap.

“Remarkable. Is it not?” A voice in her ear chimed, Raven turned to see Summer beside her, inspecting the sword.

“Oh um… Yeah. It is,” Raven stumbled to say. She squinted at the plaque on the table. “18th century. That’s the Edo Period,” she stated.

Summer flashed a small smile. “Ah. So you have an interest in Japanese history?” 

When Raven didn’t acknowledge her, Summer turned to notice her eyes focused on the sword on display. Her brow twitched and her mouth was set in a grim line. The microexpressions hinting at pained emotions that she was barely containing. Before Summer could get a word in, she spoke up.

“My mother did.” Her whisper was barely audible.

Summer’s eye widened, mouth slightly ajar. That’s the first time in quite awhile that Raven mentioned her mother. The twins prefer not to discuss Nyx that much, trying to desperately hold onto every good memory they had with her, or else the traumatic events in their past would reach out for them.

When Raven first told Summer she loved her, she was conflicted, she killed vampires for most of her life, but now somehow found herself attached to one? Summer was the only vampire Raven ever looked at and didn’t want to kill. The same applied to Qrow and it made them question a lot of things about themselves. It wasn’t noticeable at first but a month into Raven’s relationship with Summer, it was becoming clear she was struggling to come to terms with something.

Then one day the twins sat with Summer in the living room. And the reason behind their confliction became clear. They told her about a night in 1963 when they were seven, the night their mother was killed by Ravagers. How she hid them in a closet lined with holy oil to fight off the unstable class of vampires, told them to count to one hundred, if she didn’t return by then they would open the trap door in the closet and run. Run to Beacon Cathedral, the crucifixes around their necks would protect them.

Qrow would say once they hit _“ninety-nine”_ the doors to the closet swung open and their mother was there. Raven mentioned how Nyx packed a bag of their stuff and picked them up, she would tell them to close their eyes. The next thing the twins remembered was opening their eyes again when they were in the city. How their mother set them down with a huff and grabbed their hands leading them to the Cathedral. They told Summer about Father Issac, Sister Mallari and young deacon Ozpin, how they ran towards their mother when she called out for them. 

Raven’s katana and Qrow’s two handguns, they once belonged to their mother.

The twins trains of thought began to get scattered, Summer noticed how their breaths became shallow. She would get out of her seat and rush towards them, but broken pieces of memories already began flooding the twins minds.

_She said. Go with Ozpin. We didn’t want to. We didn’t. There was so much blood. Her blood. Blood. It was on our hands. It’s still on my hands. It won’t wash off. Why can’t it wash off? T-the blood._

Summer remembers having to beg the twins to stop. They stared wide eyed at their hands mumbling things under their breath, Qrow was sweating. The twins wear gloves… because they have a crippling fear of getting blood on their hands. She knelt down in front of them, telling them to look at her, to take deep breaths, she would let in air and they would mimic her. And when she exhaled, they copied that as well. It continued for a few minutes until emotions caught up to replace panic. 

Summer pulled the twins into an embrace; they both buried their faces in the crook of her neck, and sobbed. They sobbed. Tears soaked into Summer’s white shirt. She rubbed circles against their backs as sorrow racked through their forms. Hands desperately grabbed at the fabric of the back of her shirt and she would soothe them. She pressed a kiss to the side of Raven’s head, did the same for Qrow. She ignored the twinge in her own chest and squeezed them tighter against her, they bottled up too much for far too long. She is guilty of that too, knows how holding sorrow inside can feel like poison at some point. She remembers saying one thing.

_“Let it all out.”_

Raven was still staring at the sword. Hand at her side balled into a fist, Summer could see the white of her knuckles. She prayed Raven wasn’t spiraling back down into those painful memories. She would reach out her hand and grasp Raven’s, thumb caressing the skin and easing her to open her fist.

“Would you like to have it? A sword that belongs to you alone?” Summer asked.

That broke Raven out of her reverie, she turned her head towards Summer eyes wide. Summer smiled, nodding to let Raven know it’s a serious offer. Her fingers fanned Raven’s fingers apart and they laced their hands together. A voice over the loudspeaker chimed in.

_“Bidding begins in ten minutes, may all guests please begin heading towards the seating area.”_

Still holding her hand, Summer would guide Raven to the seating area. The woman managed to speak up.

“You’re really going to try and win it? For me?” She sounded so innocent, like she thought Summer was going to change her mind.

“Of course. I’ll do it. I’ll do it for you.”

The bidding period went on relatively smoothly save for a few heated bidding wars over a longsword and Civil War rifle. Summer managed to win both guom with relative ease, they sold for 800 and 1000 dollars respectively. Towards the end of the bidding, Raven perked up a bit seeing the katana being brought out. It was still unsheathed and rested on its display. The woman that was handling the bidding tapped the microphone before speaking up.

“Our next item on the block is a hand forged 18th century damascus steel katana. The sheath is crafted with dark wood and includes a black sageo. The blade itself measures in at 28 and a half inches and the measurements of the sword as a whole totals in at 40 inches. Bidding will begin at two thousand.”

Raven let out a noise, that was the highest starting price for an item so far. She looked down when she felt a weight on her thigh. Summer laid her left hand atop the dark fabric of her suit pants, rubbing circles. 

“Don’t worry about a thing. The money means nothing if it's for you,” she said with a smile.

The woman at the mic began talking again. “Two thousand going once.”

Summer lifted up her sign.

“Number 116 for two thousand. Do I hear two thousand one hundred?”

A man at the other side of the seating area towards the front raised his sign. Raven looked over to see he had a blue suit, slicked back hair and a pair of sunglasses hanging from his collar.

“Number 83 for two thousand one hundred. Do I hear two thousand two hundred?”

Summer raised her sign.

“Two thousand three hundred?”

The man raised his sign. This would go back and forth for a bit until they reached two thousand eight hundred and then the man raised his sign and called out.

“Three thousand five hundred!” He exclaimed.

“The bidding price has now risen by seven hundred. Do I hear three thousand six hundred?”

Raven leaned over to Summer, whose eye was shut as she pondered things. “You don’t have to keep going just let him have it.”

“Three thousand six hundred, Going once. Going twice.”

Summer shot her arm with the sign up. “Four thousand five hundred.”

You could hear a few people gasp. Raven looked over to see the man in a bidding war with Summer fiddle in his seat in agitation. He turned quickly in his seat, eyes like daggers being pointed in Summer’s direction, gritting his teeth in irritation. But when his eyes widened in fear, Raven looked at him with confusion before glancing back to Summer. She was staring directly at the man, there was a smirk on her face and it tugged at her features a bit more as she widened her eye and stared him down. Raven looked back at the man and was shocked to find him looking utterly terrified. She could see him struggle to swallow past the lump in his throat before adjusting the collar of his shirt and turning in his seat, sitting up with new found posture and staring straight ahead. Summer looked away from the man, focusing her attention back towards the stage. The bidding host cleared her throat.

“Why yes, the bidding cost has now risen by one thousand. Do I hear four thousand six hundred? Four thousand six hundred. Going once.” 

No one dared to interfere, not even that man.

“Going twice.”

Summer closed her eye, letting out a hum of approval as she leaned back in her seat.

“Sold! To number 116.”

The auction would end a half hour later and Summer would then take Raven over to the pick up area. Employees at the booth handed her a bill listing the total cost to be paid. She handed over the cash up front and it seemed like the staff were not expecting her to make their lives easy with cash instead of requesting a payment plan. It added a kick to their step as they retrieved her items. The two guom and katana were placed in black carrying bags, hip holster folded and tucked into the bag for the katana and all the items were then handed off to them. 

Stepping out into the night, Summer popped the truck to her car open and settled the swords inside and let Raven put the katana in as well. Closing the trunk they both took a seat in the car. Slipping out of her shapeshifted form with a huff, Summer stuck the key in the ignition, letting the engine roar to life then pulling out of the parking space and driving off into the night.

“So wanna tell me what was going on with you and that guy at the auction?” Raven asked watching lights on the freeway fly by.

“Ah right, the man bidding against me for that katana was a vampire.” Summer supplied flatly.

Raven’s eyes widened a bit and turned to face Summer. “Are you serious?”

Summer nodded, “Oh yes, I could smell it. And he wasn’t young either, since he held that shapeshifted form. He’s very clever if he managed to fool a skilled vampire hunter like you. But he was sloppy. I assume he wasn’t expecting to find another vampire at the event so he didn’t bother to mask his scent.”

“It looked like you scared him when he decided to look in your direction,” Raven said thinking back to how nervous he looked for the last half hour of the bidding period.

Summer laughed, “I sure hope so there's a certain aura to vampires when they reach ages beyond half a millennium. He knew his place.”

Raven caught a noise in her throat after the last line. Summer’s tone shifted to something serious at that part. Aura’s huh? That was new to Raven. Well, there was always something “powerful” about Summer, for lack of a better term. Like whenever she entered a room, you would be well aware of it. And that certain gaze she will have sometimes, like the one she used on that other vampire, the way her eye would seem to glow a bit, it always managed to run a shiver up Raven’s spine. Maybe that’s what Summer meant. 

Lost in her thoughts, Raven didn’t realize they reached Summer’s home. Driving through the opened gate and pulling into the driveway, Summer let the engine die down before pulling out the keys and opening the door. Raven stepped out as well and heard the trunk pop open. Summer pulled out the two guom and let Raven reach in for the katana. 

Heading into the home, they walked into the living area and Summer excused herself to duck into another room albeit to add the two new weapons to the area she cleared for them. Raven chose to sit on the couch, she set the carrying bag for the katana on the coffee table and unzipped the bag slowly. She gripped the sheath and lifted the sword out of the bag. 

Her eyes trailed the length of the sword in wonder, it was in nearly perfect condition, save for a few scratches along the scabbard and a bit of damage to the tip of the scabbard. One end of the saego was frayed a bit but it could be fixed if need be. She was finally able to get a closer look at the guard of the katana, it was rounded and had a floral pattern. Twisting it around, there were little accents of gold added to it but some areas seemed to have faded over the years.

Raven held onto the grip on one had and the scabbard with the other and tugged. The guard at the base of the blade had a lotus etched into it. She unsheathed the sword completely and inspected it in the light, there were a few areas with grime and the blade was chipped in a few spots but a couple of hours of polishing could fix that. The couch dipped beside her.

“You’ve been admiring the sword for 15 minutes by now, my love,” Summer stated.

Raven slid the blade back into the scabbard. “Really? I’m sorry I didn’t even realize.” Looked over to Summer and was surprised to find she changed out of her silver suit and back into her usual attire of a white shirt and black pants. “You changed already?”

“No need to apologize. And yes, all I did was set the guom in the display case, I will tend to cosmetics come morning. But for now…” She stood up.

Raven watched as Summer pushed one of the armchairs in front of her down until it touched the wall across the room. She stepped over to the coffee table next moving that all the way down too until it was right in front of the fireplace.

“What are you doing?” Raven asked curiously.

Summer pushed the other arm chair until it touched the wall before speaking up. “Well this sword is yours of course, but I’m sure you’ll just polish it up and let it hang on display in your office in the city perhaps. Speaking of, I have a spare katana display unit you can have. Anyway, I’m sure you want to get a feel for how it handles a few swings right?”

She stepped in front of Raven at the couch and gestured to her to stand up. Raven looked up at her. “You want me to swing this around in your living room?” She held up the katana.

“I don’t see why not. And if I recall correctly, you were swinging your sword in my home when we first met,” she teased.

Raven sighed, of course she brought **_that_ ** up. “Okay, fair enough.” 

She stood up setting the katana on the table across the room before turning back and helping Summer push the couch till it touched the wall behind it. Turning around, she went back towards the table, she dug through the black storage bag and pulled out the hip holster the staff at the auction provided. Buckling that around her hips, reached for the katana and as she lifted it up, she heard the shuffle of clothing. Raven looked behind her to see Summer had settled on the wooden floor, silver eye watching her expectantly.

Raven walked over to the center of the room, she gripped the scabbard with her left hand before sliding it into the hip holster. She parted her legs and shuffled her feet apart into a fighting stance. She inched her left hand on the scabbard up a bit, brushing along the cord of the sageo. Her thumb would press against the guard, pushing until the blade popped out of the scabbard a bit. Her right hand gripped the handle. She took a deep breath.

Quickly, she pulled the blade out of the scabbard with a horizontal slash to the right, there was a subtle whoosh of air as she did so. The movement was a tad bit slow and Raven noted how the blade was heavier compared to her other katana. She brought the sword up to her eye level, left hand gripping the handle below her right hand. The silver blade glinted in the light.

The extra weight put her off balance slightly so she would adjust her footing, before pivoting her right foot, stepping her left foot forward and spinning until her right foot was in front again. Her arms brought the blade into a left diagonal slash downwards, stepping forward to give a piercing attack. She spun again and her hands would grip the handle of the blade lifting her arms above her head before swinging in a downwards arc. She spun the sword in her right hand, left going back to the scabbard. Raven then slid the dull back of the blade along the mouth of the sheath before inserting it. She would sheath the katana slowly and stopped when all but the guard was inside. With the flick of her wrist, she would quickly slide it in.

Breaking out of her fighting stance, she turned to see Summer clapping, a warm smile on her face. “That was marvelous my love, I always was fascinated by your sword technique. Well tell me, do you like the sword?”

Raven pulled the katana from the hip holster, setting it back on the table, she unbuckled the strap of the holster and then joined Summer on the floor. She spoke up. “It does feel a bit strange using a new sword, in a good kind of way though. But you’re right, that sword is better suited for being on display. There’s a space in the office that I think would be perfect for it.” Raven looked down to see Summer lace their fingers together.

“I’m glad you enjoy it. It belongs to you alone. Remember that,” Summer said as she slid closer to Raven.

“I will. Thank you…” 

They both turned to look at each other, Raven spared a glance down at Summer’s lips. Summer in response would laugh raising her left hand up to rub Raven’s cheek with the back of her hand. She leaned into the touch and closed her eyes, heat rising to her cheeks. Parting her eyes again, she looked to Summer and silver was there to look right back.

Inching their heads closer, Raven let her eyes slip shut as they pressed their lips together. The hand against Raven’s cheek ran its fingers through her hair. Raven lifted her left hand to cup Summer’s cheek. She parted her lips, deepening the kiss. Summer trailed her hands across Raven’s shoulders, right hand wandering down to grab a button on her red shirt, popping it open. Trailing her hand back up, the right side of Raven’s suit jacket would slide off her shoulder and Summer would press both hands against her shoulders before pushing. 

It broke the kiss and Raven fell backwards catching herself by throwing her forearms behind her. Raven looked up to see Summer giving her a smirk. She crawled forward, hands finding a place on either side of Raven’s form. They stared at each other, a shade of red dancing across Raven’s cheeks, before their lips met once again. Summer was playing a dangerous game, if Raven moved either arm it would threaten to topple them both over. 

Raven sucked in air through her nose as she felt Summer trail her right hand across the back of her thigh, hand gripping the back of her knee, pushing her leg up in the air. It allowed Summer to inch forward and deepen the kiss. Raven let out a soft moan, her teeth scraping against Summer’s bottom lip.

With the katana long abandoned on the table, Raven decided she can worry about it in the morning.

\---------------

“Ever since that auction, since you gifted me that katana,” Raven reached for Summer’s right hand, lifting it up. “I’ve wanted to give you something in return. And not just anything, I wanted it to be something you could always look at and cherish.”

Raven pressed a kiss to the base of her hand, then to her ring finger, lips grazing the jewel of the ring. She looked up at Summer as the vampire wrapped her arms around her neck, sweeping a bit of her dark hair over her shoulders. Raven’s arm around Summer’s waist tightens its grip. There was always something about looking up at Summer that felt right. She moved closer to the woman and in response, Summer would tilt her head down. Their lips would then meet.

_She leaned against the balcony rail as they pressed their lips together. His hands trailed up her waist, one hand settling at the small of her back. The other moved until his fingers laced through dark red locks. He parted his lips inviting her to deepen the kiss._

Summer’s thumb’s caressed Raven’s cheeks as they pressed their lips together. A soft moan would escape Raven as the hand around Summer’s waist would trail up until it stopped just below the woman’s shoulder blades. She would grip the white fabric of her shirt.

_She trailed her teeth along his bottom lip, nipping the flesh and tugging a bit. When they broke apart, she looked up at him and he was absolutely flushed. A light shade of red consumed his features. Perhaps to spare him from going completely red, they should continue this within their room._

Raven would trail a hand across Summer’s thigh, over her hip, up her side, hand gripping the soft fabric of her white shirt tucked into dark pants. She would bunch up the cotton tugging it a bit in an attempt to free it from the confines of denim before abandoning that idea. Shifting gears, she moved her hand up further till she reached Summer’s neck. Raven would settle her hand behind the vampire's neck, fingers running through dark red hair before pulling Summer down a bit, inviting her to deepen the kiss.

 _She would guide him backwards until the back of his calves touched the bed. Without a word, he would clamber onto it, settling his weight in the middle of the mattress. His eyes followed her form as she climbed onto the bed and swung a leg over him, straddling his hips. She reached a hand up behind her head, grasping onto the band that held her half bun in place. She tugged at it freeing her hair, shaking her head a bit, letting the locks fall to frame her face. She looked down at him, a soft smile claiming her features. And he looked up at her. There was something about looking up at her when they shared intimate moments. Something that felt so_ **_right._ **

Summer let out a bit of air through her nose as Raven trailed her tongue across her teeth, along her fangs. In return, she would nip at the flesh of Raven’s bottom lip. She tugged at it listening to Raven’s soft moan, before releasing and trailing her tongue along the newly sensitive area.

_Slowly, Summer reached her hands down cupping both sides of his face. She would rub circles across his warm cheeks as he smiled up at her. She gave a small laugh before leaning down, pressing her lips against his. He trailed his hands up her thighs, across her back, gripping at the fabric. He let out a soft moan as she parted her lips deepening the kiss, teeth grazing his bottom lip roughly. They pulled apart, shades of red dusting both of their cheeks. And the world around them seemed to stop, giving them a chance to savor every moment of this time together._

Summer parted the kiss, it left them breathless. They would stare at each other, flush prominent against their cheeks. Summer brushed some hair out of Raven’s face, tucking it behind her ear. She would trail her hand down to rest against the woman's cheek. Raven lifted her hand up in response, fingers trailing across the amethyst stone resting atop the ring on her finger. She gripped Summer’s hand and turned her head, slipping her eyes shut as she pressed a kiss to the palm. 

Turning back to look up at Summer, the woman smiled moving her thumb to skirt across Raven’s bottom lip. They gave one last kiss before Summer spoke up.

“Shall we head upstairs, enjoy the rest of the night together?” She suggested.

Something new swept across Raven’s face. A spark in her eyes. It was a feeling of hunger. Of anticipation.

The rest became a blur. Footsteps heading up the large staircase. Door being shut, lock clicked into place. 

Then came hands exploring forms. Lips being pressed together. Bodies falling onto the dark comforter. Kisses deepening. The rasp of zippers opening, buttons on clothing coming undone. Cotton and denim attire being abandoned off the side of the bed, exposing heated skin to the cool air. Fingers trailed skin, the contours of muscle, until a hand would cup slick heat.

The shifting of sheets, shallow breaths, terms of endearment being mumbled as lips pressed to skin. It made for a soft contrast against long drawn out moans. The heady mix of sounds fill the air around them. The measured thrusts of fingers would guide her towards release and she gave in to the feelings of pleasure that slowly consumed her. As the building tension finally snapped, she cried out, pressing her body hard into the other woman’s. For a short while, she felt like she was floating, disconnected from the world, but there enough to realize when the bed began to dip again and her head was being raised slightly. Her cheek then pressed into the soft fabric of the other woman’s shirt and she revelled in the cool touch. Fingers would trail her clammy skin, soothing her. The last thing Raven was aware of was Summer pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Before sleep claimed her.

\---------------

It was a few hours before dawn when Summer’s eyes parted open. She took in a deep breath, holding it for a bit, before slowly exhaling. Staring up at the ceiling, she would listen in on all faint noises drifting across the room. Her breathing, the slow thrum of her heartbeat ringing in her ears, the rhythmic ticking of the large clock hanging on the wall at the far right corner of the room. She shut her eyes again brow furrowing, far too many memories she can barely keep shut away to begin with were running rampant in her mind. 

The woman pressed against her letting out a soft groan drew Summer’s gaze down. Raven’s head still rested against her chest, nuzzling the dark fabric of her nightshirt. Her arm was swung over her form, keeping them close together. Summer managed a small smile, her right arm joining the other, wrapping around Raven’s form. She would give a slight squeeze and tilted her head down to press her lips against the top of the woman's head, her nose brushing against dark locks. Her body then begged her to get up.

As Summer slowly sat up and cautiously detangled her limbs out of Raven’s grasp, the woman would let out another groan in response. Summer froze her motions and watched as Raven blew air from her nose and turned to her other side, dark curtain of hair falling to shield her bare back. The action freed Summer’s left arm so she sat up fully, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed. Her fingers fiddled with the buttons of her black nightshirt closing a few before she stood up. She turned around and tugged at the thick comforter until it covered Raven’s form completely.

Stepping towards the large window in the room, she parted the dark curtains a bit, a strip of moonlight flooding the room. Crossing her arms, she would look out the large window. The lights of skyscrapers in the cityscape a few miles away blinked in varying rhythms. Perhaps any other night, she would find solace in this moment in time. She always rose from her slumber a mere few hours after drifting into it and would embrace the silent atmosphere before the rest of the world started up again. But tonight was different. Tonight she felt like the silence was suffocating.

She let out a wince, a soft yet pained noise escaping her before she could stop it. With her arms crossed, she lifted her left in order to use two fingers to rub circles along the scarred tissue of her eye. Why does the sense of familiarity flood her suddenly?

God she was craving a drink.

She gripped the curtains shutting them once more. She then walked towards the upholstered bench at the foot of her bed, picking up the pair of dark lounge pants draped over it. Slipping into them, she moved over to a glass display case at the left side of the room, it was situated next to the door to her large closet. Summer glided her fingers across the glass, staring down at what was kept inside. A Colt M1892 double action revolver, it was far too precious to her to keep it downstairs with all the other weaponry on display. She flicked the locks to the case open, gently lifting the glass top and reaching down for the gun. 

Summer held the gun, right hand squeezing the grip. She trailed her left fingers along the barrel, across the holster, tracing the engravings on the handle. Left hand returning to support the barrel, she raised the gun up, pressing her lips to the grip like some sort of sign of respect. There was a somber look on her face as she set the revolver back down, shutting and locking the display case up again. With that she stepped towards the bedroom door, sliding on the pair of slippers she keeps nearby, before turning the knob slowly and exiting the room.

She padded down the steps of the main staircase, turning to the right, she walked through the threshold dividing the entry area from the living space. Her shadow would cast against large paintings hanging on the walls, she passed by sets of expensive pottery on display with a shelving unit. There was a secret as to why she adopted the taste for art collection, it helps with the pain of decades old memories berating her mind.

_“I’m hopin’ someday I can be happy with my life. Livin’ in luxury is probably everyone’s dream round here. Now I ain’t sayin’ I’ll pray to God beggin’ for somethin’ good in my life for once.”_

Summer walked through the area for her collections of various weaponry, she stopped in front of the two guom on display. She polished them recently, their blades and pale antler grips had a faint sheen. Her right eye twitched as she stared at them, brow furrowing. She ripped her gaze away and continued towards the kitchen.

_“But sometimes I just find myself dreamin’ ‘bout livin’ in one of them big ol’ houses on a main street and buyin’ art or somethin’.”_

Stepping into the kitchen she flicked on the lights, reaching for the dial next to it, she twisted it until the lights were dim. Padding across the tile floors, she moved past the large island towards the cabinets swinging one open, she pulled out a wine glass. She set it down on the table and walked towards the pantry. Walking into the storage space, she moved past the stacks of various foods, heading towards the door all the way at the end. 

_“And if I can’t live to see that life…”_

Twisting the knob, she entered the small room, opening up a large fridge. She was met with rows of dark red wine bottles. Each with a label, names and dates etched across the paper with script. Summer grabbed a random bottle, closing the fridge, exiting the small room and then the pantry. Returning to the empty glass waiting for her.

_“Do you promise you’ll live it for me?”_

Summer pulled the cork off the bottle with a slight pop, tossing it on the floor somewhere behind her. She slid the glass towards her, holding the wine bottle from the bottom as she slowly poured the blood into the glass. She filled it a quarter of the way before setting the bottle down. She sat in one of the stools and lifted the glass up.

_“Summer.”_

Twirling the glass in her hand she brought it to her lips. The taste of iron flooding her senses, it helped distract her, but only for a moment. She tilted her head up, drinking everything in the glass before setting it down with a clink. She stared at the glass and how it was now stained with a streak of red. There was a twinge in her chest. Summer lifted her left hand up, gripping the fabric of her shirt just above her heart. She leaned forward a bit, dark red hair shielding her eyes.

“My god, it still hurts so much thinking of you…” She trailed off letting out a huff of air, struggling to smile.

She reached out for the wine bottle again, filling her glass just under halfway this time. She would chug the liquid hurriedly, a bit would dribble down her chin and she set her glass down quickly, cursing under her breath. She yanked a drawer open, pulling out a wipe from the packet inside and cleaning the trail down her chin before it could drip onto her clothes.

Summer laughed as she tossed the red smeared wipe on the counter. 

“You two are so different you know. Yet somehow, you both compliment each other. You were optimistic, confident, quick to make bonds. And she’s far more jaded, preferring to make bonds slowly, letting people in little by little.” Summer gave a ragged exhale of air. “You both sit on opposite ends of a spectrum and perhaps... I lie somewhere in the middle. That’s how I managed to find you both.”

Summer lifted both her hands up. Staring at the two rings resting on her ring fingers. She pressed a kiss to the one on her left hand, the silver band with the ruby. Then she pressed a kiss to the one on her right hand, the gold double band ring with the amethyst stone. 

“You and her. The both of you... You mean so much to me that... I can’t fathom a life without meeting you two.” 

She shifted in her seat hand reaching up to grip the fabric of her shirt above her heart again. The pain was more noticeable this time.

“You always said no matter what happens, you’ll be with me. So why… Why do I feel alone?”

Moving her hand, she reached for the bottle pouring whatever was left into her glass, it filled just over a quarter of the way. She downed it all and set her glass down again. Her index finger fiddled with the top of the wine bottle, rocking it back and forth. 

“Taiyang… Please forgive me, but lately I find myself wondering how things might be different if she lived back then. Or if you lived now. Would it be the three of us together? You would have adored her I’m certain. And she would find comfort in the light you cast.” Her finger pushed the bottle and it fell on its side with a clang. It rolled down the table until it was stopped by an empty glass vase. 

Flowers. She’s been meaning to add some to that vase. Flowers… What kind should she add. Roses? What about snapdragons?

_"May your flames burn for eternity." They planted snapdragons of varying colors around the memorial. His favorite flower. They added a few sunflowers too, the bright petals reminding everyone of his light._

Summer winced, a piercing pain came from her scarred eye, raising a hand, she pressed a palm to the damaged tissue. She let out a pained groan as her eye throbbed. She hasn’t felt pain in her eye like this in decades. As she gripped her scarred eye, more memories came flooding in.

_In his final hours, he begged her to take him to that cliffside by the campsite. The view at sunset was breathtaking and he wanted nothing more than to watch it with her. They would sit at the cliffside, she leaned up against a boulder and he laid down against her chest. They watched the sky, how it was painted in beautiful hues of orange and purple. Through his struggling breaths, all his pained wheezes, he would attempt a weak laugh._

_“We’re on top of the world… Just the two of us... I’m glad it’s that way…”_

_Summer gave a pained smile. “I’m glad too, my darling. It's... Breathtaking.”_

_A tear streamed down her cheek as she came to the realization that he never answered her._

“ **No.** Please don’t think about that.” She told herself. No, _begged_ herself. She reached for the wine glass, squeezing it in her hand.

She was too late.

 _She carried his body through the camp. It was night fall, campfire and oil lamps illuminating her form as she walked. People ran up to her, Li, Maria, Oobleck, Tukson all_ **_begging_ ** _her to talk to them. Her eye was glossed over, she just kept walking. Until she reached his tent, stepping inside she delicately laid his body on his bed. And then everything caught up to her. Noises escaped her lips. She fell to her knees, hands wavering, breathing becoming ragged. She gripped both sides of her head and she lunged forward screaming. Tears fell from her right eye, never her left. She gripped his shirt, burying her face into his form, pained sobs berating her body. He was gone. He was gone._

_He was gone._

“ **FUCK!** ” A yell ripped through her throat as she threw the wine glass onto the tile floor. Bits of glass flying in all directions.

She stared at the floor, as her hands began to waver. She stared at the floor, as her brows pushed together, lip trembling as she grit her teeth. A choked sob escaped her and she cupped a hand over her mouth. Then came another, she hunched forward as the sobs didn’t stop. Her shoulders trembled as the sorrow ran its course. 

“Why…” She gasped through her fingers.

Her face contorted damp eye screwing shut and then came the tears. Her other hand would join the one covering her mouth, she squeezed hard as the tears fell. She leaned forward elbows pressing into her thighs. Tears would pool at her hands before trailing across her knuckles and dripping onto the floor. 

Summer moved her hands gripping the sides of her head curling in on herself as her sobs became louder. As tears fell faster.

“You never… Deserved what the universe... did to you.”

She tilted her head up towards the ceiling. Tears streaming into her hair, dripping off of her cheeks and chin, down onto her pants. Her hands would grip her knees squeezing tight, fingers digging into the fabric.

“S-sometimes I find myself wishing my other eye could still shed tears... Perhaps that way sorrow could wash over me in half the time,” she said voice raw.

She turned in her seat crossing her arms on the counter. She buried her head into her arms and she rode the last wave of sorrow. She felt haggard and was struggling to breathe. One of her shirt sleeves began to dampen from the tears. 

“Are you alright?” 

A hand being placed on her back jolted Summer upright. She turned to the left to find Raven sitting in the stool next to her. She had a t-shirt and dark sweatpants thrown on and must have come downstairs with the intention of getting something, perhaps water, but stumbled across Summer instead. And judging by Raven’s reflective gaze searching her face, brows furrowed in concern, whatever task she wanted to accomplish was long forgotten. 

“What happened? You’re crying.” The worry plastered across her face was clear, even under the dim light.

Summer’s eye widened and she reached her fingers up to her cheeks, they were damp and the area around her eye was puffy. She turned in her seat abruptly causing Raven to move her arm as she jolted in surprise. Summer desperately rubbed at her eye sniffling as she wiped away the streaks of tears.

“You don’t have to concern yourself over this,” she said, voice shaky and cracked.

Raven’s hand gripping her chin shocked Summer. But she let Raven turn her head so a crimson gaze could meet silver. Telling Raven not to worry only managed to make her worry more.

“Don’t concern myself?” She whispered as if she could scare Summer off if she spoke too loud. “You were drinking blood, crying and now there's a shattered wine glass on the floor. Please Summer. Don’t shut yourself away.” 

Raven pressed her forehead against Summer’s in an attempt to comfort her. She placed a hand to Summer’s cheek thumb caressing the flesh that was tacky to the touch. Summer let out a shaky breath looking up at Raven, she leaned into the woman's palm, hand reaching up to hold onto it. The gold ring with the amethyst would glint in the light.Raven looked down to think of what to say next. She could guess what was causing Summer so much pain, but how could she begin to help if she knows nothing about what hurt the woman in the past? If she knows nothing about the people she once loved decades ago?

“Will you ever… tell me about your past?”

Summer stared at Raven. At the concern drenching everything else. She felt the hand against her cheek shift. She so desperately wanted to say yes, but the pain in her heart, she wasn’t going to manage it. Summer’s brows trembled again, bottom lip quivering and she would let out a hiss through grit teeth as new tears began to fall. She ran her fingers through her hair and hunched over as another sob ripped out of her.

“I… I can’t… It hurts so much,” she would say between sobs.

Raven stared at the scene before her. There was a twinge in her chest, she has never seen Summer so… Broken. She suddenly regretted asking Summer that question. It was memories from her past causing her to spiral downward like this. Raven stood up in her seat, hands would lift Summer’s head and press her cheek against her chest. She would cradle Summer’s trembling form as she felt the vampire desperately cling to the back of her shirt. 

Holding in sorrow for too long, it would begin to feel like poison. She remembers Summer telling her that back when she and Qrow told Summer about their mother. Raven squeezed Summer tight against her, she pressed a kiss to the top of her head and mumbled the only thing she could.

“Let it all out.”

And Summer did, she cried, weeped, let every ounce of sorrow pour out of her. The tears soaked into Raven’s shirt, she didn’t care though, she pressed another kiss to Summer’s head. Her hands would rub circles against the vampire’s back. 

When Summer’s ragged breaths began to slow and the sobs started to come to a stop, they would pull apart from the embrace. Raven used both hands to tilt Summer’s head up. Her left thumb would wipe away any stray tears. She leaned down to press a kiss to Summer’s cheek, saltiness from all the shed tears prominent against her lips. 

Summer shut her eye, brow furrowing as she fought to tame raw emotions. Raven sat back down in her stool, sliding it forward a bit to get closer to Summer. Leaning forward she would brush some hair out of Summer’s face. The vampire parted her eye once more and she spoke up.

“My past. It’s not a simple story. If I bare my soul in front of the world... will you be there to stand with me?”

Raven pressed her hand against Summer’s cheek, she skirted her thumb over the scarred flesh of Summer’s eye. She pressed a kiss to Summer’s cheek and then another against her eye.

“You won’t shoulder things alone. I’ll be right there with you. We’ll overcome anything. Together,” she affirmed.

Summer smiled and relief washed over Raven, seeing that smile meant that she was overcoming the pain that tried so hard to consume her. Raven reached her hands down gripping both of Summer’s and lifting them up. Her thumbs would rub circles against the base of her hands. She tilted her head down pressing her lips to both of Summer’s ring finger’s. She looked up and her crimson gaze could almost get lost in silver.

“These rings, whenever you look at them, I hope it can help you remember who you cherish. Past and present,” she brushed her thumbs across both jewels. “Because no matter what happens, if you have these rings, it means we’re with you. And that you aren’t alone.”

Summer’s eye widened. That’s right she isn’t alone. His ring was a reminder that she was loved, but more importantly, it was a reminder that he would always be there. No matter what plans the world has for him, as long as she kept that ring. It meant he was with her. This new ring on her right hand, it was a thank you for all that Summer had done for Raven in the time they’ve been together. But far more important was that it was a reminder that Summer won’t burden things alone, that Raven would be right there beside her.

“You’re right, I’ll stand here, but I won’t be alone. You’ll accompany me through whatever we may encounter,” she gave a warm smile and Raven couldn’t help but reciprocate it.

When Raven let Summer’s hands go and she would trail them up Raven’s arms, past her shoulders. She cupped the woman's cheeks, tilting her head up to press a kiss to both sides.

“This love we share, it gives me strength. Strength I thought was lost decades ago. Meeting you… It helped me remember how to live, it made me want to learn to love again. You’re... My light.”

Raven gave a small laugh and they pressed their foreheads together.

They would take on storms together. These two rings that she’ll hold close forever, they are symbols of the bonds she made. Symbols of the love she has for Raven. The love she has for Taiyang. And even though the pain of loss will try to consume her, to chip away at her, she’ll find strength with these rings.

The symbol of their connection.

**Author's Note:**

> I referenced a different AU I have did you happen to notice it?
> 
> You made it to the end I hope you enjoyed. Kudos and Comments are appreciated and if you're interested in more of this AU and many others, feel free to check out my tumblr artbyfuji.


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